We learn in medical school that this is true of joints. However, few physicians understand that this is true of all the body's organs as well.

The practical application of this fact of nature is that just as a limitation in joint motion translates into a limitation in the function of that joint, since motion is the key function of the joint, so, too, does limitation of internal organ motion have a negative effect on the function of that organ.

A few recent examples from my practice:

Bladder:A patient arrived with a lot of bladder pain following a procedure with a well-known university urologist. The procedure was done to help him with a very dysfunctional bladder. While the procedure was judged successful the patient was absolutely miserable. The doctor had counseled him to just tough it out and that eventually he would feel better.

The word eventually was left undefined.

I examined him and found that his pelvic floor was very unbalanced with the muscles on the left in spasm. In addition, the left side of the bladder was very irritated.

However, not unexpectedly, the bladder itself and the ureter were both moving in an abnormal range of motion.

When the above issues were corrected by gentle osteopathic treatment he got better.

Immediately.

He had no more pain following the treatment.

Heart:

A patient had a heart attack and received open heart surgery.Besides feeling very weak which is natural for a while after this surgery, he also had a lot of chest pain. His breathing was compromised as was his ability to move about.

The heart range of motion was very limited. This is not something that physicians know of and even if they did how would they measure and treat it?

I released the rib heads which were jammed into his back and spine when the sternum was cracked open. I also treated his thoracic diaphragm which was in spasm.

However, the most dramatic thing was to restore the range of motion of the heart.He was able to visit his extended family for the first time following this and is now doing much better. He is fully ambulatory and able to pretty much take care of himself, drive a car, etc.Best of all, his entire body is functioning better than it did even before the heart attack.

I am convinced that correction of range of motion of organs can spare us all problems with those very same structures in the future.